The Special Relationship

Following the "secret" story of his election (The Deal) and his first major crisis (The Queen), writer Peter Morgan ends his unofficial Tony Blair trilogy with one of the most famous aspects of the man's political career: his friendship with US President Bill Clinton, and the hopes and problems that came with it.

The film, made as a co-production between BBC and HBO (where it premiered in May 2010, though it has been picked up for theatrical release in other countries), starts in slightly familiar territory, showing us Blair (played, once again, by Michael Sheen) before he was elected, and the same goes for Clinton (Dennis Quaid), who immediately befriends the British politician on the grounds that they have a lot in common: young (politically speaking), ambitious and eager to make a difference in their respective governments. Once both men are in office, the cooperation goes very smoothly, prompting the media - and the two friends themselves - to talk about a "special relationship" between America and Great Britain. However, like most relationships, it has to face some hard times, most notably the conflict in the former Jugoslavia and, on a more private front, the Lewinsky scandal, which drives a wedge between Bill and Hillary (Leslie Hope) and Tony and Cherie (Helen McCrory, reprising her role from The Queen).

Like most of Morgan's work, The Special Relationship puts a lot of emphasis on character and performance, especially Sheen who, by now, wears Blair's clothes and mannerisms like they were a second skin, a fact that becomes more evident when archive footage is used to show the man's first encounter with a very different Commander in Chief (one George W. Bush), and he's ably assisted by the excellent Quaid who, having already played a President in American Dreamz, gets past the not-so-perfect physical resemblance between himself and the real Clinton to deliver a fully formed portrayal of a flawed, but very charismatic individual. On the female side, Hope is the usual guarantee of quality, while McCrory is a bit of a revelation, taking advantage of the increase in screen-time she has been granted compared to The Queen.

That said, the film is probably the least dramatically poignant of the trilogy. Maybe it has to do with the change in the director's chair (goodbye Stephen Frears, hello Richard Loncraine), but the real reason is the excessive familiarity of the material: whereas The Deal and The Queen dealt with the unseen (and largely fictionalized) side of their respective stories, The Special Relationship centers around a piece of Anglo-American history that has been widely covered multiple times, meaning there's very little on screen, no matter how entertaining, that people haven't heard of before.

Overall, a slightly underwhelming but consistently amusing look at the workings of English and US politics, propelled by a flawless double act and some Aaron Sorkin-like writing. If this is the last we'll see of Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, one thing is clear: it's been a very pleasant experience.

7,5/10

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie on DVD and draw the obvious comparison with Michael Sheens performance of tony Blair in the 'Queen' and of how Blair was portrayed in 'The Ghost Writer'. 'W' also springs to mind about George Bush and of course Peter Morgans other recent work about a political leader, 'Frost Nixon'.

At first I was watching a political comedy where Tony Blair was destined to become an Americanized Mr Bean. Dennis Quaid, as professional an actor as he is, was way too overpowering in the role of Bill Clinton who I am sure is a lot more gentler as a guy than the film portrayed.

The film ends up with us feeling a degree of sympathy for both Blair and particularly Clinton, though I doubt the reality of this. How special this relationship was compared with Thatcher and Regan or Blair and Bush, its difficult to say but it was absorbing to see the facts put through the 'mill' and an almost objective appraisal given of the problems raised by both leaders. Was the French President Chirac really that pompous? Were the leaders that close on a personal level? Actually, I think Tony Blair must be thinking himself - gosh that guy Sheen acts me than I do myself. He is certainly a very likable 'duplicate' of the real thing and perhaps a more acceptable version. a lot of recent history is dealt with in this 90 minute movie, as others have commented, nothing at all with that, the film is useful if only for English education in hearing English and American language side by side and a terrific dose of history as I have mentioned.

Might get Michael Sheen a much deserved Oscar nomination. As for Dennis Quaid, as AL gore might have once said - you are NO Bill Clinton! Got to say the two ladies playing the wives of Cheree and Hilary are almost comedy like and the script to some extent is more appropriate to a TV sit com than a movie suitable for DVD or cinema release.

Not knocking the movie. Its very watchable, not in any way tedious, quite funny at times and keep the kids out of the room at certain times when sexual innuendos are mentioned with reference to Bill Clinton's 'you know what'! Enjoy!

It seems movie reviews of this work are subject to the politics and realities of the event rather than the recreation and acting of this surprisingly good story. Dennis Quaid, who I've never seen do anything above mediocre work usually just mirroring himself, was just outstanding as Bill Clinton. I think it is by far his best piece of acting to date. Equally so for Michael Sheen who I am less familiar with. Both men did a good job of presenting the personalities, complexities and subtleties of each leader. "Hillary Clinton" didn't just look the part - she was Hillary (at least what we know of her). Bill was presented as the smart politician sleaze ball and failed leader of lost promise that he was. Tony Blair is presented as both a promising leader and sympathetic character doomed to eventual destruction. The story was able to project all this in its short 90 minutes. On top of that it was educational to boot. Good job!

So, as far as the film stands as a film, it is ok, decent acting, some nice shots all in all, a film.

Now, the reality of what happened is not portrayed here, Tony Blair seems to be the generic good guy just trying his best whereas in the real world the only reason these men aren't in prison for war crimes is because we would then have to openly admit that we invaded a country based on lies, which will never happen.

So if you can watch this as a work of fiction it becomes much better, but essentially just a film to stroke the ego's of war criminals to try and justify their actions.

The main point of interest in "The Special Relationship" is in my opinion the changing status throughout the film of the strong friendship between Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Ahead of his election Blair is portrayed as a fan of the US President, appreciating Clinton's advice and the fact that Bill has taken a great interest in his career. At the beginning they both appear to share a genuine mutual friendship whereas, as both their careers progress, the relationship does deeply change. The Special Relationship is a good dramatization of the America/Great Britain relationships during those very important years. However I had the impression that the film, though well acted and directed, would be more suitable for the TV rather than for the big screen. Overall it's about an insightful representation of UK/US relations, depicted through the exploration of a bromance and, more than everything, a glimpse of the real Tony Blair. Not unforgettable but a quality story for sure.